ARAFAT RECEIVES SRV SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HANOI 002139 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, INR/EAP, NEA/IAI, SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN E.O. 12958: DECL:08/30/11 TAGS: PREL PINS PINR KPAL IS VM SUBJECT: ARAFAT RECEIVES SRV SUPPORT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 02139 301022Z ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ROBERT C. PORTER, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, REASON 1.5(D). ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: A BRIEF VISIT TO HANOI BY YASSER ARAFAT ON AUGUST 24 WAS APPARENTLY AIMED AT SHORING UP SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIAN POSITIONS IN THE WAKE OF ESCALATING VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. VIETNAM REAFFIRMED ITS GENERAL SUPPORT AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE VIOLENCE, BUT BROKE NO NEW GROUND. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) YASSER ARAFAT STOPPED IN HANOI ON AUGUST 24 AS PART OF A SWING THROUGH ASIA, DESCRIBED AS AN EFFORT TO GATHER SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIAN POSITIONS. HE APPARENTLY HAD ONLY ONE OFFICIAL MEETING, WITH SRV PRIME MINISTER PHAN VAN KHAI, WHO REAFFIRMED THE SRV'S POSITION THAT THE PARTY, STATE, AND VIETNAMESE PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE THEIR LONG-STANDING SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN POSITIONS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT STATE. ACCORDING TO LOCAL PRESS COVERAGE, KHAI ALSO CONFIRMED SRV SUPPORT FOR UN RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338 AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE ESCALATING VIOLENCE. VIETNAM TELEVISION, IN ITS AUGUST 24 NEWS SUMMARY, CRITICIZED THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION FOR ITS SUPPORT OF ISRAEL. ¶4. (C) MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WESTERN AFRICA AND ASIA DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR DOAN NGOC BOI DESCRIBED ARAFAT'S DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AS FRIENDLY BUT DID NOT OFFER MANY DETAILS. HE NOTED THAT THE SRV'S SUPPORT FOR ARAFAT AND THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS LONG- STANDING. BOI COMMENTED THAT THE SRV IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ISRAEL'S USE OF HEAVY WEAPONS IN CIVILIAN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 02139 301022Z AREAS UNDER THE PRETEXT OF SECURITY. HE STATED THAT THE PALESTINIANS WERE READY FOR PEACE AND IT WAS UP TO ISRAEL TO MAKE ADDITIONAL CONCESSIONS. BOI ALSO CHARGED THAT THE US WAS "BIASED" TOWARDS ISRAEL. HE ALSO NOTED THAT ARAFAT SEEMED PESSIMISTIC AND CONCERNED AND HAD MENTIONED THE NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS. ¶5. (C) BOI ALSO DESCRIBED ISRAEL-VIETNAM RELATIONS AS "NORMAL" AND SAID THAT NEGOTIATIONS FOR A BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT ARE PROCEEDING. HE ADDED THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT VIETNAM TO OPEN AN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, HOWEVER. ¶6. (C) ISRAELI AMBASSADOR AMIKAM LEVY TOLD POLOFF AUGUST 29 THAT THE ENTIRE ARAFAT VISIT OCCURRED AT THE HANOI AIRPORT AND LASTED ONLY ABOUT ONE HOUR. HE ADDED THAT ARAFAT HAD VISITED VIETNAM AT LEAST 10 TIMES IN THE PAST AND KNOWS THAT HE WILL ALWAYS BE WARMLY RECEIVED HERE. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: ARAFAT'S BRIEF VISIT TO HANOI APPEARS NOT TO HAVE BROKEN ANY NEW GROUND BUT ONLY FURTHER DEMONSTRATED THE LONG-STANDING SYMPATHY AND GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SRV AND THE PALESTINIANS. END COMMENT PORTER CONFIDENTIAL